Impact of body mass index on the circulating levels of nitric oxide metabolites in clinicopathological features from women with breast cancer

• Published in: Precision medical sciences 2023-06, Vol.12 (2), p.62-68
• Main Authors: Ferreira Fagotti, Pâmella Aparecida, Oliveira Colleto, Matheus Iago, Okamoto Ferreira, Mariane, Teixeira Maito, Vitor, Campestrini, Bruno Vinicius, Scandolara, Thalita Basso, Souza, Janoário Athanázio, Rech, Daniel, Silva, Janaína Carla, Alves, Fernanda Mara, Jacob Victorino, Vanessa, Venturini, Danielle, Panis, Carolina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Body mass index; Breast cancer; Comparative analysis; Disease; Epidermal growth factor; Estrogens; Inflammation; Lymphatic system; Medical prognosis; Menopause; Metabolites; Metastasis; Nitric oxide; nitric oxide metabolites; Obesity; Overweight; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumors; Variance analysis; Womens health
• ISSN: 2642-2514; 2642-2514
• DOI: 10.1002/prm2.12104

To investigate the clinical meaning of systemic nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) by comparing eutrophic and overweight/obese patients with breast cancer, considering clinical factors determinant of disease prognosis. A total of 61 women diagnosed with breast cancer were included in the study. NOx estimative was performed on plasma samples using the cadmium–copper‐Griess method. It was then categorized according to the age at diagnosis, body mass index, menopausal status, tumor histological features, molecular subtype lymph nodal invasion, and emboli presence, considering p ≤ 0.05 as significant. A significant augment was observed in NOx levels from overweight patients carrying Luminal B tumors concerning the Luminal B eutrophic ones. There was a considerable reduction in NOx levels in eutrophic postmenopausal patients compared to the overweight postmenopausal ones. Patients bearing tumor sizes between 2 and 5 cm in the eutrophic group had lower levels of NOx, concerning the overweight patients carrying tumors of the same size interval. Circulating NOx levels change significantly according to the trophic‐adipose status of breast cancer patients, and it is further affected by prognostic factors related to poor disease prognosis. Breast cancer patients with excessive body fat produce more nitric acid metabolites (NOx) than eutrophic patients. Circulating NOx levels are altered in overweight breast cancer women with more aggressive diseases, such as luminal B subtype tumors and larger tumors.